December 2012

December 31, 2012

I can't believe that we've reached the end of 2012. Where has it gone? At the start of every year, I set myself goals for all areas of my life - exercise, craft, work, family, spiritual. At the end of the year I take stock of what I actually achieved. For 2012, I didn't do too badly. There were some things which were left undone; others will carry over to 2013; and others were achieved beyond my expectation!

For the last couple of years, I've also been choosing a word to sum up what I want to achieve for the year. For 2011 it was 'Bloom' for 2012 it was 'Relax'. When thinking about the year ahead, I was challenged by the verse Philippians 3:13-14 - "But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." In my life I've had disppointments when people have let me down or when things didn't turn out the way I wanted them to; regrets when I think I made the wrong choice; and guilt over things that I've done wrong. It's easy to dwell on these things and allow them to affect choices that I make for the future. They can stop me from becoming all that I can be.

In 2013 I want to leave all these things behind me. My new word? Go!

I made this little sign (9" x 7") to hang in my studio.

The little car represents 'moving forward' and the word 'go' is behind it pushing it along.

December 29, 2012

This morning I was looking through my stash wondering how it got to be so big yet again and I found these Log Cabin Blocks in the bottom of a basket.

I'm not sure when I made them but I'm pretty sure it was at the start of the year. I have vague recollections of starting a new design which was going to include Log Cabin Blocks and some house stitcheries. I remember being unhappy with the completed Log Cabin Blocks - thought they were too dark and dreary - so abandoned the whole idea. I put them in my scrap basket and there they have been hidden all year.

There is a total of eight blocks and I spent some time this morning wondering what I should do with them. Perhaps a tablerunner? or small quilt? or cushion cover? In the end I decided that they would look nice in a floor mat. I will add some plain squares and arrange them in three rows. Will be nice to use them - finally.

Christmas over ...

The other thing I did this morning was take down the Christmas tree and decorations. The tree held up pretty well for another year and I realised that the cats must be getting old because they only knocked it over once this year.

On our back deck, I have some solar powered fair lights and Mum bought a solar powered lamp to go with them. It's so good - it changes colour and looks so nice sitting on my table.

December 27, 2012

Did you survive Christmas? Silly question - you must have - you're reading this! I ate too much (especially rocky road - decided not to make any next year. Robin told me I said the same thing last year); received some great gifts; played Risk until late in the night and then conceded defeat so I could go to bed; and enjoyed my family. Hope your Christmas was as much fun.

Yesterday while Robin was watching the cricket, I retreated into my studio and whipped up a little bag for the Bungle Jungle Quilt.

While I was making the quilt I thought that a bag to keep it in would be a good idea but I didn't actually get around to it. I had these animal print fabrics in my stash which I thought would be perfect. I'm not sure why I bought them initially but I'm glad I did! I also had some cotton tape in my drawer as well and decided to use that for the handles.

I really didn't do anything fancy - just cut the fabric bigger than the folded up quilt; boxed the bottom of the bag 1"; and cut the tape to size. As you can see I opted for the brown fabric on the outside the light blue on the inside.

It was a very quick to make and the quilt fits in it perfectly. I'm glad I made it.

New Banner...

Keeping in line with the holiday time of the year, I changed the banner on my blog. Makes me feel like getting away!

Although judging by the traffic on the highway this morning I think everyone in paradise has the same idea. Robin and I thought we would go for a drive to the coast today and after an hour when the traffic was almost at a standstill, we turned around at the next available exit and settled for lunch at our favourite cafe.

December 24, 2012

It's Christmas Eve and now that I've finished all the preparations for tomorrow, I've been thinking about what Christmas really means.

Every night on the TV news, there are stories of people doing acts of kindness and genorosity and the story always ends with a comment about showing the true meaning of Christmas. It seems that giving to others by showing love and generosity underpins Christmas.

Isaiah 9:6 records the greatest example of giving: "To us a child is born, to us a son is given". The child is Jesus Christ. God's only son given to us so that we can reconciled to him. Through Jesus we have the promise of an abundant life both now and in eternity. We did nothing to deserve or earn this gift. God gave his son out of love for us.

But, like all gifts, it has to be received. How do we do that? Just believe.

December 22, 2012

My local newsagent now stocks Mollie Makes magazine and instead of buying an e-version I now get the paper version. This means that I also get the monthly giveaway attached to the front cover.

Last month, it came with a kit to crochet two coasters. I haven't done any crochet for ages so thought I would give it a go. Sounds reasonable except I couldn't find my crochet hooks! I knew that I had stored them someone 'safe' in the crochet hook roll I made but for the life of me couldn't remember where I had put them.

After much mumbling I remembered that my last crochet project (WIP) was a blanket I started last year (or maybe the year before) and was in a brown paper bag (sounds seedy) in the back of my cupboard.

After overcoming that hurdle I then started the crochet itself. Turns out I can't count because the first one looked a bit out of shape until I counted back and realised that I hadn't worked enough little clusters in the very beginning which of course meant the whole project was out of whack. So it was back to the drawing board but after that plain sailing.

I felt a great sense of achievement when they were finished. Made me think that perhaps I should get back to that blanket I was planning to make.

Christmas Prep...

Well I made another fruit cake last night. The first one (made a couple of weeks ago) was but a distant memory. But since it was such a hit I knew the recipe was a winner so feel confident that this one will be well received too. Also made some rocky road - not confident at all that it will last until Tuesday. Every now and then I hear the container rattling as Robin takes yet another piece to 'sample'. All the shopping's done and gifts wrapped. All I need now are some fresh fruit and vegetables. I've been sitting on the back deck relaxing this morning. Really appreciating the holidays already.

I was thrilled when I saw this lot because of the 'brighter' colours. The lovely pinks, yellows, greens, and purples are just perfect for using as 'zingers' in any scrap project. I always seem to be short of just the 'right' fabric and all of these are winners. I even like the background and shirting fabrics included this month. Will have plenty of use for them all.

The next lot is from Threadbear. They are so different to the ones from Somerset - which is a good thing. As you can see they are darker and mainly reds and browns.

I especially like the two at the front - the dark red patterned fabric and the beige fabric. There's also a nice brown fabric as well.

I'm sticking with these fabric clubs next year because each instalment brings something I can use. None of the fabric club fabrics sit around in my stash for very long.

Hitting the shops....

Well the shopping isn't quite done by me yet and this morning I'm venturing out into the mall again. I've been psyching myself up for two days and made a list so I won't get sidetracked and forget what it was I had planned to buy. My plan is to be focussed and stick to the list. Wish me luck!

December 18, 2012

I was having trouble finding a novel to read recently and I asked the lady in Dymocks for a suggestion and she immediately recommended The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton.

Kate Morton is actually a paradise local and she's often featured on the local news but despite that I hadn't read any of her books.

I'm sorry I hadn't picked one up sooner because I really enjoyed this one.

When I was asking for help in choosing a book I asked for a book with a 'nice' story and 'nice' characters. I didn't want anything that would tax me too much or keep me up at nights. The Forgotten Garden ticked all the right boxes.

It's the story of a young woman, recovering from her own tragedy, who searches for the truth about her recently passed away grandmother. She travels to Cornwall and uncovers some family secrets until in the end she is able to find peace not only for her grandmother but for herself. The story is really well written and weaves its way from the present to the past and back again effortlessly. The characters are engaging and their lives are revealed slowly through the story. Even though it's quite a thick book (I was a bit dismayed when I saw that), it kept me interested the whole time. I enjoyed it so much that I went and bought another one of her books to read.

From the Library....

I was discussing my lack of reading material with Glenys one day (via email) and she recommended The Beach House by Mary Alice Monroe. I found this one in our local library and it fitted my list of requirements as well. It's a good story with engaging characters. This one is about relationships - mainly between a mother and daughter - and their reconcilation after years of separation. Families can be 'tricky' with lots of things that we rather forget but even though we pretend that it hasn't affected us these things unless confronted can have a lasting effect on us. This book is about finding peace which in turns brings hope to face the future. A nice story.

December 16, 2012

I was doing a bit of a tidy up in my shed yesterday and I realised that my 'sample' shelf was getting a little overcrowded.

When I design patterns I always make up at least one of the pattern and these 'samples' sometimes end up on this shelf. Other 'samples' become gifts and yet others end up somewhere in my house. I make so many things that I can't possibly use them all myself which is why they end up here.

I thought it would be a good idea to offer them for sale on my website. So I started a new category called Handmade Items and uploaded a few of the things on my shelf.

I called this one Time Out and I made it from the Lecien Flower Sugar fabric. I didn't turn this one into a pattern but the instructions are in an issue of the magazine.

When it was returned to me, I put it on the shelf and there it's sat ever since.

Christmas sadness...

As bad as the shooting is in USA at any time of the year, it just seems worse because it's so close to Christmas. My heart goes out to those families whose little children won't be sharing in the family celebration this year and the adults whose families will be without a Mum or Dad.

All morning I've been thinking about it but I just can't make any sense of it.

December 14, 2012

The floor mat project turned out to be very quick - I whipped it up in an afternoon.

I started by looking through my books for some ideas and I found just what I was looking for in the book Sew Darn Cute by Jenny Ryan.

The project in the book is called Nice View Cafe Curtain with the cutest little house on it and I thought it would be perfect for a floormat.

I chose some blue and white spot fabric from my stash. It's left over border fabric from a Noah and Friends quilt that Mum and I made for her great grandson (who is now 3). I used that for the background and chose some scraps for the applique.

As far as the applique goes, I Vliesofixed the shapes on to the background and then I layered it up for quilting. I used a piece of cotton fabric for the backing and for the batting, I joined together left over pieces of cotton batting. I then completed the applique stitching by machine stitching close to the edge of the shapes through all layers. The applique stitching then doubled as quilting as well.

For the binding I again used some fabric from my stash, cut into 2 1/2" widths. I sewed it to the back of the mat and then folded it over to the front. I turned it under about 1/2" and machine stitched it down.

Finished size is 28" x 18".

I used ordinary patchwork fabric for mine because it's in a low traffic area. But, for a heavy traffic (foot that is) area it might be better to use a heavier fabric for the backing. Also, to prevent slipping you can add a non-slip underlay. I find it 's okay for us but we don't have children running around.

I'm really pleased with my floor mat and am planning another one already.

December 12, 2012

I I enjoyed stitching this one on the green fabric - I'm glad I found it in my cupboard. It makes the white area in particular stand out a bit more.

When I was in Melbourne I visited Morris and Sons to have a look at their lovely yarns but found some pink Aida instead. I bought a piece so that it gives me a few more colour options for the girls. I'm thinking that I might need to plan which letters will be on which coloured Aida otherwise there might be a predominance of colours in different areas of the quilt (planned in my mind).

For the next girl, I've chosen L is for Lyn Lavender. I've actually stitched her before - years ago - on a tissue box cover that sits on my dressing table. I'm stitching her on antique white Aida. I know that looks good because that's what I used last time. Like the rest - she's very cute.

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In 2012 we did the quilt called I am... based on the I am statements Jesus made in the book of John. If you would like more information please email me.